Supporting Employees Starts With Understanding the Cause
When an employee is experiencing work-related stress, managers are often the first people in a position to notice that something has changed.
Perhaps somebody who is normally engaged has become withdrawn. Their concentration might have changed, they may seem more irritable or overwhelmed, or their performance might not be at its usual level. In other cases, the employee may approach their manager directly and explain that they are struggling.
Knowing what to do next is important.
Supporting an employee experiencing work-related stress is not about becoming their therapist or trying to solve every problem for them. It is about creating an opportunity for an honest conversation, understanding which aspects of work may be contributing to the problem and taking appropriate action to reduce or manage those pressures.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines stress as the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them. Employers also have a legal responsibility to assess the risks of work-related stress and take steps to control those risks.
Managers therefore have an important role to play in recognising concerns early and helping organisations move from simply responding to stress towards addressing its causes.
How Can Managers Recognise Work-Related Stress?
There is no single sign that tells you somebody is experiencing work-related stress.
Changes may be behavioural, emotional or physical, and every employee will respond differently. Possible signs can include changes in concentration or decision-making, irritability, tiredness, low mood, tearfulness or withdrawing from colleagues and workplace activities.
Managers might also notice changes in attendance, communication, confidence or an employee's ability to manage tasks that they would ordinarily complete without difficulty.
However, managers should avoid making assumptions. A change in behaviour does not necessarily mean somebody is experiencing work-related stress, and managers do not need to diagnose what is happening. Instead, noticing a change can provide an opportunity to check in. A simple, private conversation can be a valuable starting point.
Start a Conversation About What Is Happening
Conversations about stress can feel uncomfortable, particularly when managers are worried about saying the wrong thing. They do not need to be complicated. Choose a private setting, allow enough time so the conversation does not feel rushed and explain what you have noticed without making assumptions.
For example, rather than saying, “You seem really stressed,” a manager could say, “I've noticed you don't seem quite yourself recently and I wanted to check how things are going for you.”
From there, open questions can help the employee explain what they are experiencing. Managers can ask what is creating the most pressure at the moment, whether particular aspects of their role are becoming difficult to manage and what changes might help.
Most importantly, listen. The initial conversation should not become an opportunity to defend workloads, explain organisational decisions or immediately tell the employee how to cope better. The aim is to understand what they are experiencing and identify what may be contributing to it.
Look at the Causes of Work-Related Stress
When somebody says they are stressed, it can be tempting to move immediately towards individual wellbeing solutions.
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), counselling, wellbeing resources or encouraging somebody to take their breaks may all have a place. But if the primary cause of the employee's stress is an excessive workload, unclear responsibilities or an ongoing workplace conflict, these measures alone are unlikely to resolve the underlying problem.
Managers need to ask: what is happening within work that could be contributing to this stress?
The HSE Management Standards provide a useful framework. They identify six areas of work design associated with work-related stress:
- Demands – including workload, working patterns and the working environment.
- Control – how much influence somebody has over the way they work.
- Support – the encouragement, resources and support available from the organisation and colleagues.
- Relationships – including positive working relationships and managing unacceptable behaviour or conflict.
- Role – whether employees understand their responsibilities and whether conflicting roles are avoided.
- Change – how organisational change is managed and communicated.
Using these areas can help managers move the conversation beyond “How can we help you cope?” towards “What can we change or manage differently?” That distinction matters.
Agree Practical Actions Rather Than Leaving the Conversation There
A supportive conversation is valuable, but employees need to know that raising a concern can lead to meaningful action. Once potential causes have been identified, managers and employees can explore practical changes together.
Depending on the situation, this might mean reviewing workload and deadlines, clarifying priorities, providing additional training, temporarily adjusting responsibilities, increasing management support or creating clearer boundaries around working hours.
It might involve addressing a workplace relationship, improving communication during organisational change or giving an employee greater input into how their work is organised.
For some employees, adjustments to hours, breaks, responsibilities or working arrangements may also be appropriate.
There is rarely one universal solution to work-related stress. What helps one employee may not help another, which is why the employee should be involved in deciding what practical support could make a difference.
Where appropriate, agreed actions should be documented, responsibilities made clear and a date set to review whether the changes are helping.
Consider a Work-Related Stress Risk Assessment
Work-related stress is a health and safety issue. Employers have a legal duty to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities and take measures to control that risk. When an individual employee reports work-related stress, an individual stress risk assessment can help managers systematically identify potential causes and agree appropriate actions.
A risk assessment should not simply record that somebody is stressed. It should consider the workplace factors contributing to the risk, what controls are already in place, what additional action may be required and how the situation will be reviewed.
The HSE's Management Standards and Talking Toolkit can provide useful frameworks for these conversations. Importantly, a risk assessment should be treated as an active process rather than paperwork that is completed and filed away. If actions are agreed, managers need to follow through and review whether those actions have actually reduced the risk.
Know When Additional Support May Be Needed
Managers can provide valuable workplace support, but they are not expected to provide clinical or therapeutic support.
Depending on the employee's circumstances, it may be appropriate to signpost them towards an EAP, occupational health, HR, their GP or another appropriate source of professional support. Managers should also understand their organisation's procedures around mental health, absence, workplace adjustments and escalation.
If an employee has a physical or mental health condition that meets the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010, the employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments. Even where an employee's situation does not meet that definition, exploring practical workplace adjustments can still be an important part of supporting them.
The key is not to use signposting as a replacement for addressing workplace causes.
Referring somebody to an EAP does not remove an unrealistic workload. Occupational health cannot resolve unclear management expectations. A wellbeing app will not address bullying or poor workplace relationships.
Individual support and organisational action often need to work together.
Keep Checking In
Work-related stress is not always resolved after one conversation. Managers should agree when they will check in again and use that conversation to review what has changed.
- Have agreed actions happened?
- Has the employee's workload become more manageable?
- Are they receiving the support they need?
- Have any new concerns emerged?
Regular, appropriate check-ins can also help managers identify problems earlier rather than waiting until somebody reaches a point where they feel unable to cope.
If an employee takes time away from work because of stress, communication should be agreed with them so that contact is supportive rather than overwhelming. When they return, managers should also consider whether a phased return, temporary adjustments or further changes to their work could help support a sustainable return.
Supporting Work-Related Stress Requires Confident Managers
Managers are often expected to recognise work-related stress, have sensitive conversations, manage workloads, make adjustments, carry out risk assessments and know when further support is needed.
Without appropriate training, that can be a significant responsibility. Mental health and workplace wellbeing training can help managers understand the difference between pressure and stress, recognise potential signs that somebody is struggling and feel more confident starting conversations.
Just as importantly, effective training should help managers understand the workplace factors that can contribute to stress and the practical steps they can take to address them.
At Mental Health in Business, we help organisations equip managers and leaders with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills they need to support healthier workplaces.
If you want to strengthen your organisation's approach to work-related stress, our workplace mental health training can help managers move beyond simply recognising that somebody is struggling and towards taking practical, appropriate action.
Frequently Asked Questions About Work-Related Stress
What should a manager do if an employee says they are stressed at work?
If an employee says they are experiencing work-related stress, their manager should arrange a private conversation to understand what is contributing to the problem. The focus should be on listening, identifying workplace pressures and agreeing practical actions that could help reduce or manage them. Managers should also follow their organisation's policies and consider whether a stress risk assessment or additional support is needed.
Should an employer carry out a stress risk assessment?
Employers have a legal duty to assess the risk of work-related stress and take steps to control that risk. If an individual employee reports that they are experiencing work-related stress, an individual stress risk assessment can help identify the workplace factors contributing to it and establish appropriate actions to reduce the risk.
What are the main causes of work-related stress?
Work-related stress can have many causes. The HSE Management Standards identify six key areas associated with work-related stress: demands, control, support, relationships, role and change. Issues such as excessive workloads, unclear responsibilities, poor working relationships, insufficient support or badly managed organisational change can all contribute.
How can managers reduce work-related stress?
Managers can help reduce work-related stress by identifying and addressing its underlying causes. This might include reviewing workloads and deadlines, clarifying priorities and responsibilities, improving communication, providing additional support or training, addressing workplace conflict and involving employees in decisions about how their work is organised. The appropriate action will depend on the individual circumstances.
What should a manager avoid doing when an employee is experiencing work-related stress?
Managers should avoid making assumptions, dismissing an employee's concerns or immediately focusing on how the individual can become more resilient. Signposting somebody to an EAP or wellbeing resource can be helpful, but it should not replace action to address workplace factors that may be causing or contributing to their stress. Managers should listen, take concerns seriously and agree appropriate next steps.
